No “Judaism” in the Ancient World?

I find Daniel Boyarin’s ideas always thought provoking, if not always convincing. This recent lecture on the term ioudaismos and its development in early Christianity is extremely important. The Lecture is a part of his current research for a book called Imagining No Judaism. The thesis of the book is “Judaism is not a native concept for Jews”.  Boyarin says, “Jews have no term for their religion until the 18th century.” The point is that what was represented by the word “Judaism” was not “faith” or “religion”, but a set of distinct practices and values that is culture, that distinguished this people from others. Some of these things distinct elements are equivalent to what we call religion today, but most not.

This discussion has relevance for our interpretation of Galatians 1:13-14 and 2:14. In a publication coming out later this year Galatians and Christian Theology, Matthew Novenson provides an interesting discussion of Ioudaismos in Galatians: “Paul’s Former Occupation in Ioudaismos”. Look for it!